The Press., 1887-05-05
on of baunineea waa o;yTer.fIowino.

cup of happiness was over-howing.
 Every night the beloved gift was care fully sTnoothed aud folded in tissue paper
 With one bdnch of roses turned on the outside of the package, and with a tender pressure of 1t against her cheek and lov. ing good night kiss, Maggie would fall asleep. her hand resting lovingly upon its | soft, lustrous folds. At her first waking moments it was unrOlfed, and the delight of manifold manipulations recommended,
 with ever fresh delight.
 But there came day when even the possession of her hearts treasure could
 not overcome the terrible pain which rack
 ed her slight frame. ,.,..,.......,..
 For days she had been growing worse, | and the physicians saw no hope save in an operation-dificult and dangerous, one
 which if unsuccessful must result fatally. They had postponed it from week to
 week, hoping for favorable results without
 it. But one morning pr. Jay found Mag and sleeplessness, he saw clearly that there
 was no alternative f-..-4...,.
 She seemed unconscious of his presence
 even when he pressed the thin white hand
 as he felt her pulse. The pallid, thin
 marked face, the limp, wasted little form, appealed most psthetically to his kind heart, and bending over her, he pressed a 5 kiss of fartherly tenderfess on the white
 forehead. Her large eyes suddenly un-
 closed, the warm blood flushed the pale cheeks, and 8 smile of tender, loving
 delight flashed over her face.
 "Is the pain so hard to bear, dear child !" , he asked, sympathetically. "It Is better now," was her low reply. g An, how littleDr Jay suspected, as the
 dark eyes followed him with such worship. z ful tenderness, that his kiss was the first . caress the poor child had ever known-l
 I Kicks and cuffs and drunken oaths had been often showeted upon her, but a fathers kiss, a mothers tender caress, poor
 Maggie worse than orphaned--had never S known.
 . 'There must be an operation without n delay, {" was Dr. Jay, decision, after a briei . Iconsultation with the house physicians. ' Tomorrow at eleven at the very latest. c She cannot live over forty eight hours in r her present condition" l. Then to the head nurse whom he had e summoned, ''You will please tell her, Mrs z Hatch, sufficient to have her understand , the necessity of the operation. She seems ; unusually intelligent, and it will save bel from fright and nervousness, and she needI IS everything possible in her favor. Do no
 tell her until an hour before the operation 1f let her sleep tonight if she can under th' .- opiate, without knowing it." " dI So at ten o'clock next morning the nurse ! in the most tender manner possible, ex V plained to the child, so far as she though e necessary, the operation she was about t. 2, undergo, concluding with s.. s.fa.
 "We hope to make you strong and vel .g again, dear." 7..9 - a--s . ...lf .- " "Will they hurt me very much 9" Mag ;s gie asked, her lip quivering notWithstand ' ing her brave efforts at self control. le s'Not very. much, and you will knoV ;e nothing about it they will give you some IS thing to put you to sleep until it is a
 oVer."- .-.,..e
 hi "Who will do il? -.a.
 ,t "Dr.l Jay." ~... ~ "Oh it's all right, then 7" with a gla lv !,, smile of loving confidence; Che will say III me for sure, if fanybodyscAn, and know h AS won { hurt me-"
 When the hour arrived, without nun 70 mur of dread or shrinking on her part, tn l little frail, emaciated form was laid upo Id the operating table, her hand tightly clasr ,e ing the beloved ribbon even in that drea S hour. a. zS t"sf As F+ q She glanced from one toanother of tn le grave faces ot nurses and physicians wb ct stood around, looking in vain for Dr. Jay of who, delayed by patients, had but just al ty rived, She caIIed his name softly, an Id hsstening to her side, he bent over her wit he a kindly, reassnring smile. The thin was